Vilma gets a July 26 hearing on his effort to delay suspension

The Saints head to camp on July 24. Two days later, linebacker Jonathan Vilma will head to court in an effort to join his teammates in camp.

With a one-year suspension that began the moment Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld his decision to suspend Vilma for a full year, Vilma can’t show up unless and until he obtains a court order delaying the suspension until the legal challenge to the penalty is resolved.

The other three players who have been suspended may participate in training camp and the preseason. Thus, they don’t need a ruling on the effort to postpone the suspensions until the conclusion of the preseason schedule.

It’s somewhat surprising that the wheels of justice have moved so slowly. Part of the delay comes from the fact that, as we understand it, Judge Helen G. Berrigan was out of the country for most of last week.

At the hearing on July 26, Vilma will argue that he’ll suffer “irreparable harm” if his suspension is permitted to proceed and if he later wins a reversal of his suspension in court. Vikings defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams prevailed on that point in the StarCaps case, even though they ultimately lost on the merits of their lawsuit attacking four-game suspensions for violation of the league’s steroids policy.

And so, like the Williamses, Vilma could obtain a postponement of his suspension, even if in the end the court system upholds Goodell’s decision.

Guilty of what exactly? Do you have some proof that mabe the NFL doesn’t have? If you do, i’d like to see it, and so would Goodell.

So far the only “proof” the NFL has shown against Vilma is a ledger that was re-typed by the NFL which shows Vilma’s name on it and $10,000 next to it. The problem with that is, that same ledger also had Joe Vitt’s name on it. Joe Vitt was never accused of contributing any money. So he called Goodell and questioned the legitimacy of that ledger and the next day Goodell said Vitt is right. He never contributed money. Ok then why was his name on the ledger? Also Charles Grant’s name was on it. Grant was on IR and was not even with the team during that game. The ledger was written by the disgruntled ex employee who had an axe to grind.

It makes me sick knowing that you are an American, but you are willing to convict an innocent man with no proof. I hope your kids go through what Vilma is going through one day. I bet your attitude will change. Hypocrite.

gotta love the saints fans’ arguments… rather than claim he did nothing wrong, they claim there is no evidence of wrongdoing, even if it was there… so by my guess if saints fans were jurors on ojs case, he’d still be innocent… wake up . the nfl doesn’t just accuse people randomly (although I’m waiting to hear a roid check for clay Matthews), they had a legitimate reason to accuse those players… and above all else the union and players did little to help their case at all… so that’s that. accept the punishment, if not for wrongdoing, then deservedly for our stupidity, and come back next year…
its times like this that I can come to respect Vick and his troubled past

Saintsfan26, Being from Tampa I’ve enjoyed the games between our two teams. However the Saints got caught. I believe that every team “does something” or is guilty of bending some rules. There just happens to be enough for them to have to do somthing about in this case. Can’t just brush it under the rug this time.
It annoys me everytime i see a Saints fan post screaming for the proof. The coaches have taken their punishment and moved on. It seems the only people who don’t understand is the Saint’s fans and Vilma. (which I think he just needs the money and can’t afford to be out for a year). Dont forget that this isn’t a court of law. The NFL is the employer, the players are the employees. The boss caught the employees doing something they shouldnt have and punished them. There doesnt have to be “without a shadow of doubt” proof. They can tear a contract any time they chose. There was enough proof for everyone to accept this…but fans. If he was wooried about doing “irreparable harm” maybe he shouldn’t do anything that can get his name on any ledger at all.
By the way, nice hoping for something horrible on someone’s kids.
Way to find the high ground

Not asking for an emergency hearing with another judge might hurt in the hearing. How can they say time is so important if they didn’t object to a hearing that begins two days after this “vital” camp begins? They didn’t want to ask for a different judge because they didn’t want to risk getting a conservative – so I guess the identity of the judge is more important than their irreparable harm argument….

Can’t wait for the response from the “hanging judges” in this forum when the judge in these lawsuits says that the NFL is wrong and has not proven their case. Should Vilma still “shut up and take his punishment”?